Seven Day Revelation
by Pareathe
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome already spend most of their time together, gathering shards of the Shikon no Tama around feudal Japan, but Inuyasha hasn't been able to come to a true resolution about his feelings or their relationship. Will one week stuck in Kagome's time, without demons to hunt or jewel shards to collect, make him see what he couldn't before? Repost circa 2003, and reborn.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome already spend most of their time together, gathering shards of the Shikon no Tama around feudal Japan, but Inuyasha hasn't been able to come to a true resolution about his feelings or their relationship. Will one week stuck in Kagome's time, without youkai to hunt or jewel shards to collect, make him see what he couldn't before?

.~*~*~*~*~.

**Seven Day Revelation**

**Day One**

"He's doing it again," Sango muttered discreetly, receiving a very quick and even more cautious nod of agreement from Miroku.

"You know how he gets when he thinks she's taking too long to come back."

The monk nearly fell over when he felt a sudden brush of wind before being grabbed by the collar and hoisted up to look into narrowed golden eyes.

Inuyasha growled warningly as his pseudo-captive stammered. "What is _that_ supposed to mean? I'm just tired of waiting for that girl when we've got more shards to find."

In truth his unease had nothing to do with the jewel shards. Aside from one in a mask a while back, there hadn't been any sign of one in Kagome's time, and they didn't have any new leads on where to find the missing ones in his era either. What bothered him was that it had been three days since Kagome left, and with nightfall fast approaching, she hadn't shown back up yet.

"It's your fault she hasn't come back!" Shippo accused from his spot, a safe distance away. "You keep making her mad!"

"I didn't do anything!" the half-demon shot back, dropping Miroku and chasing after Shippo instead.

Shippo stopped running and folded his arms over his chest before attempting to copy Inuyasha's scowl. "You were flirting with Kouga again, Kagome," he mocked. "Why do you keep leading him on, Kagome? Why don't you flirt with me like that, Kagome?"

"Brat, I never said that!" He attempted another unsuccessful grab. "But for the record, she _was_ flirting with that wimpy wolf again," he declared, "so I think she owes _me_ an apology."

This time, it was Sango who spoke up. "First of all, Kagome-chan hasn't done anything to lead Kouga on," she began firmly. "And even if she had, why would it matter? You've made your choice, haven't you? So, as I see it, she's free to pursue whomever she wants." She turned and gave her balking companion a meaningful look. "Wouldn't you agree, Inuyasha? I mean, you don't want her to keep pining away for someone who doesn't want her, hurting her more and more every day, do you?"

"Feh, that stubborn girl doesn't pine," he stated flatly, trying to mask his concern. Unfortunately, he couldn't help it when his voice wavered, and he glanced back over reluctantly. "Does she?"

Sango shrugged. "The point is, she hasn't done anything to make Kouga believe she will return his feelings for her. And considering what you've said, if I were her, I'd be looking for a man in my own time."

In the moments Inuyasha was trying to restart his panicking heart, Miroku nodded in agreement. "I imagine a beautiful woman like Kagome-sama has many men who desire her in her world. Perhaps she has already found one, and that's why she hasn't returned yet," he added.

"But..." Inuyasha stammered weakly, "I...we...she..."

_She's only in her time a few days a month, so she wouldn't have time for something like that,_ he told himself. _Plus she's never mentioned a boyfriend, so she must not have one, or she would've said something by now. Wouldn't she?_

Like a rush, several images flashed through his mind in rapid succession. The first time he saw her, flung onto the ground below where he was hanging by the enchanted arrow which had sealed with fifty years earlier. The moment she'd pulled his sword, Tetsusaiga, from its resting place and handed it to him with complete confidence in his ability to wield it. The moment her soul had been stolen by the witch who'd created a new body for Kikyo, and the moment she'd fought back to reclaim the part of it which rightfully belonged to her. The day he realized he cared for Kagome, realizing she truly was the reincarnation of the woman he'd fallen for so many years earlier.

Most importantly, he remembered the day he admitted to himself that she _wasn't_ Kikyo. She was Kagome, unique and gifted in her own right, and he cared for her even more, knowing that.

But Sango was right, he realized. He'd made his decision to live for, protect, and eventually travel to hell, all for Kikyo. Kagome knew it better than anyone, as she'd seen the two of them together when he'd made that promise to her. She also understood why he felt responsible for what had happened to the first guardian of the Shikon no Tama, and knew he'd promised to save the woman somehow.

At first, he'd thought she'd leave for good after that. Instead, she'd come back. He knew it hurt her, but she came back anyway. She'd wanted to stay, to be with him. Despite the danger, and despite his decision.

_She said she'd stay with me. I wasn't going to be alone anymore._

But it didn't mean she couldn't fall in love with someone else, from either of their worlds. And the thought made his guts turn inside out.

"Damn it," he swore under his breath, peering into the well. "Where are you?"

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and froze.

Blood. It was faint, but it was definitely blood he smelled. No matter how long he lived, or how long they were apart, he knew he'd never be able to forget that scent.

Kagome's blood. And it was coming from the other side.

_Kagome!_

Before anyone else knew what was happening, Inuyasha was soaring downward, vanishing from sight as he passed through the barrier into Kagome's dimension.

"I guess he decided to go after her," Miroku observed calmly.

Sango grinned. "It's about time. All that stalking around was driving me nuts."

"If he'd waited any longer," Shippo added, "I was going to push him over the edge." He looked over the ledge for a moment. "But he did leave suddenly. I hope Kagome's okay."

"Don't worry yourself. I'm sure she's fine," Miroku comforted, though inwardly, Inuyasha's instant change of heart bother him too. Normally, the hard-headed man would've waited until he'd bitched enough to make everyone leave. Then, once he was alone and no longer needing to defend his pride, he'd have gone after her.

The anxious look on Sango's face confirmed his suspicion. Something had happened, and he could only hope Inuyasha would take care of whatever it may be that had worried him so badly.

Unfortunately, none of the friends had time to ponder on it, as a blast came from the woods and headed straight for the opening of the well-the only gateway between Kagome's world and their own.

…_..._

"_KAGOME!_"

Inuyasha jumped high into the air, his heart thundering and claws leading the charge against the unfortunate bastard who dared draw Kagome's blood.

A shrill shriek that sounded like his name, then...

"_SIT!_"

He barely had time to cry out before the unnatural gravity took hold around his neck and slammed him face-first onto the ground. He laid still for a moment to stop the painful throbbing in his head before leveling a glare on the wide-eyed woman ducking on the ground a few feet away.

"What the hell was that for?" he hissed as he began dragging himself to his feet.

"You nearly sliced me to pieces!" Kagome snapped, standing up as well and dusting her skirt off. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I thought..." _I thought you were in danger._ Well, he'd apparently been wrong, he decided. He growled indignantly. "You were late, so I'm here to bring you back," he answered, slinging her enormous yellow bag over his shoulder. "Come on."

Kagome had different ideas, and she dug her heels in, stopping Inuyasha in his tracks.

"I'm not going back," she declared.

Inuyasha blinked. Twice. "What? Of course you're coming back," he argued as he gave her arm a rough tug. He dropped it when she gasped sharply; she pulled her arm protectively against her chest. At that angle, he noticed her sleeve was torn, and the skin on her elbow and upper forearm was bleeding.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" he demanded, scanning the area.

"You didn't give me much of a chance."

Okay, he had to give her that one. Not that he'd tell her, of course. Besides, there were more important things to worry about. "Who did this to you? Where are they?" he asked, spreading his arms out to shield her while trying to catch the scent of the culprit.

"Oh, for God's sake, what are you doing?" she sighed. "No one did anything to me." She shrugged when he spun around and gave her a suspicious look. "I lost my balance carrying the bag, and I fell and skinned my elbow. It's no big deal."

He watched her for a moment, then let himself relax. No one would have to die after all, which was always good, considering it was a real bitch to get human blood out of his clothes. He took a calming breath, and choked when he realized Kagome was staring at him.

And he knew that look. That sweet, beautiful, you-were-trying-to-protect-me-weren't-you? look.

He forced his heart back into his chest and the blush to leave his face. "Feh, humans. You can't even carry your bag by yourself. I guess it's good I came after all."

…...

_Another beautiful moment, sabataged by Inuyasha the jerk._

She knew he was looking for a way to cover up for his attempted heroics, but she wasn't going to fight with him this time. "Actually, I'm glad you're here," she stated matter-of-factly. "I was hoping you'd show up."

"You mean...you were waiting for me?" he ventured tentatively.

"Yep. Like you said, I need you to carry this bag back for me." She rolled it until it was at his feet, the turned on her heel. "There. And don't eat all the chips in one sitting this time," she added over her shoulder.

"But...you..." he stammered, then shook his head roughly and jumped into the air, landing right in front of her. "What're you doing? The well's that way," he said, pointing behind her.

"I'm going inside," she explained impatiently. "I need to clean this cut. Besides, I already told you I'm not going back tonight."

She stalked past him and continued to ignore him when he starting following her a moment later.

"Oh, I know what this is about! You're still mad at me, eh?"

Kagome counted to ten in her head before trusting herself to answer, all the while clenching her fists so she wouldn't try to wring his obnoxious, immature, unreasonable neck. Honestly, she wasn't too upset about their fight; they'd been together long enough now that she was used to them, and she rarely let them bother her very long these days.

"I'm not going back because there was a surprise quiz last week in one of my classes, and I have to take a make-up test tomorrow," she responded evenly.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Oh."

So she wasn't mad, or didn't seem to be, anyway. And it bugged him. She _should_ be angry. He'd been a total jackass, telling her they didn't need her if all she was gonna do was screw with that Kouga guy. He'd known it the moment the words had come out of his mouth. The fact she'd slammed him down with her damned subduing spell immediately afterward had proven it too.

"Well...I'll wait here then," he decided.

Kagome opened the front door, spun around, and blocked Inuyasha's path. "No, you're not." She cut off his imminent protest with a wave of her hand. "I can't concentrate when you're here, and I have to study, or I'm gonna fail for sure." Her features softened, making him take a step back. "Please, I'm so behind from not being in school most of the time, I can't afford to miss this. I just need _one...more...day_. I promise, I'll be back before nightfall. _Please_, Inuyasha?"

She knew he absolutely despised when she laid on the guilt by begging; it was so un-Kagome-like, he said. She suspected what he _really_ hated was the fact that she got him nearly every time by doing it.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you're not back by sunset tomorrow, I'm gonna drag you down that well by the collar of that freaky outfit you wear," he conceded.

"Then we're agreed. You'll take the supplies back to the group, and I'll see you guys tomorrow." And with that, she closed the door, leaving Inuyasha cursing under his breath as he trudged back toward the well.

…...

Kagome ran upstairs and into her bedroom, slammed the door, and leaned heavily against it. She didn't know if she'd ever get used to the way her heart raced every time Inuyasha sprung up unexpectedly like that. Not that she minded all that much.

She smiled wistfully as she remembered the expression on his face when he'd seen she was hurt.

_He must have been standing by the well and smelled my blood, so he came after me, thinking I was in danger. And_ that _means he's been waiting for me. _Sure, it was stupid to be so enamored after he'd nearly beheaded her, but she knew his heart had been in the right place.

Sighing softly, she pushed off the door and began unbuttoning her blouse so she could dress the cut on her arm. She stopped midway when she heard the phone ring, and her mother's voice a moment later, calling, "Kagome! Telephone!"

"Hai!" She shrugged the hair off her shoulder and picked up the phone while her fingers fiddled with the next button. "Hello, Higurashi Kagome speaking."

"Ah, Higurashi!"

"H-Hojo-kun?" Kagome clamped her shirt shut, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Hi," came the cheerful reply. "I hope you don't mind, but your friends told me you were taking a make-up test tomorrow, so I made copies of my notes for you. Would it be alright if I brought them to the shrine?"

"I...uh..." she stammered weakly. She didn't feel like seeing anyone, but she had to admit, having a complete set of notes would definitely improve her chances of scraping out a passing grade. "O-okay. Sure, that'd be great. Thanks, Hojo-kun."

"Great! I'll come by right now. See you in a few minutes!"

Kagome hung up the phone, shaking her head. He really was very sweet to her. Too bad she didn't have the slightest interest in him. He'd figure it out eventually, she decided with a mental shrug before turning her attention back to her arm.

That's when she noticed her window was open, with Inuyasha balanced like a statue on the sill. For an instant, they just stared at one another-Kagome, realizing Inuyasha had been watching her take her shirt off, and Inuyasha, for being caught red-handed.

Her mortification wore off quickly, and she spun around so her back was to him. "_Sit!_"

"What the hell are you doing, spying on me?" she demanded as she fumbled to make herself decent.

Inuyasha peeled himself off the floor and growled. "I wasn't _spying_ on you! You were talking to somebody on that...thing." He pointed to the phone on her dresser. "I was just waiting for you to get done."

"Well, you could've knocked," she grumbled, turning back to him once she was covered again. "And you're supposed to be taking my stuff to the other side, not watching me take my clothes off!"

The red in his cheeks went up a notch. "I told you, I wasn't _watching_ you. And I tried to go back, but I can't get through."

"What're you talking about?" Her eyes narrowed, and she put a hand on her hip.

"I jumped down the well, got to the bottom, came back up, and I was still here," he explained.

She had a bad feeling about this. "You...you must've done something wrong," she suggested as she felt her stomach sink into her feet.

"It's kinda hard to mess up diving down a well, but if you think so, then you try it."

Why didn't she think of that? "Alright, I'll take you back, but I'm coming straight home afterward."

"It's not gonna work," he warned.

"Of course it will!" she snapped back. "It has to. I still have to study for this test, and..."

Inuyasha shrugged, cutting her off. "If you say so." He snorted when she made her way to the door, pulling her back around and bending down so she could climb onto his back.

"My way's faster."

She couldn't argue with that.

Ten minutes later, she and Inuyasha were both gasping for air in front of a hole they'd dug at the bottom of the shaft, covered from head to toe in the dirt they'd sent flying everywhere.

"Give it up already. We can't get through," Inuyasha stated with a huff.

Kagome shook her head frantically and looked at him with wide-eyes. She gaped when he sat down and folded his arms over his chest. "What are you doing? Keep digging!"

"It's not gonna work," he repeated. "Why do you wanna get rid of me so bad?" he asked, his brassy eyes narrowing.

"I already told you, _I...have...to...study_!"

"You weren't studying when I was in your room," he pointed out.

"That's because-" She froze. _O__h no, Hojo-kun! He's gonna be here any minute! __Okay, Kagome, think fast._ "You know what?" she squeaked, scrambling to her feet. "This isn't working, so why don't we go inside, and you can try again tomorrow morning."

Inuyasha blinked as he was drug to his feet. "But...hey, wait a minute!" It wasn't his imagination; her heart was pounding so loud and fast, he could hear it easily. "What's going on? Why'd you change your mind all the sudden?"

"I...um..." she began.

"You're hiding something from me!" he declared. "Spill it!"

She took a deep breath. "Okay, here's the deal. Someone's coming over to bring me some notes, and I can't let h-them see you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because they don't know I spend most of my time five hundred years in the past! My friends think I've been home sick when I'm not at school. It'll be kinda hard to explain why a half-demon with ancient clothes and dog ears is at my house."

He watched her critically for a minute. "So, this friend of yours is coming over tonight?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, any minute now, so after you get me back up the shaft, you gotta stay out of sight."

"Fine," he agreed, grabbing her around the waist and taking the leap up like it was a hop over a crack on the ground. He put her back on her feet at the door. "I'll be right here."

"But...wouldn't you rather go inside?"

"What for? Besides, someone's coming up the front steps," he stated.

The footsteps were too heavy for a human female, he noted suddenly, and the smell was all wrong too. He grabbed Kagome, careful not to hold the wrong arm. "Wait a sec! That's not a girl!"

Kagome jerked away. "I know that!"

"_What_?" he choked in disbelief. "You invited a _guy_ over to your house..._at night_?"

Kagome heard Hojo walking across the courtyard and rolled her eyes. "Just stay put," she whispered, sliding the door open just enough to slink through before closing it, very nearly clipping the end of Inuyasha's nose.

He growled angrily as he peeked through the crack in the doors. He saw Kagome brushing herself off and fiddling with her hair, while some skinny weakling spun around and smiled brightly.

"Higurashi!" Hojo greeted, though the smile turned to a confused frown when he noticed how dirty Kagome was.

"Sorry, I know I look awful. I was sweeping out the well shrine," she lied. "It was dustier than I thought!" _Oh boy, if he buys that one..._

"Oh, okay! You really shouldn't push yourself like that, especially since you just got over hemoplitosis."

_Oh, great. Sounds like Ojiisan's making up diseases again..._

"Anyway," he went on cluelessly, "here are the notes. I hope they help."

"Ah, thank you!" She took the folder and beamed. "I'll pass for sure with these!"

He returned the smile. "I'm glad to help."

"You did more than help. You're a lifesaver!" she amended with sincere glee. "Thanks for bringing them."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you anyway, so the notes were a good excuse," he replied.

Kagome's smile faltered slightly. "You did?"

"Yeah, I wanted to see if you've got any plans this weekend."

_Oh no, not now!_ "Actually, I-"

"I know you've had to cancel a few times, and since you weren't feeling well and had to cut our last date short, I wondered if maybe we could try again this Saturday," he finished. "So, what do you say? Will you come to the movies with me?"

Kagome wanted to sink into the ground. Why did he keep asking her out? And why the hell did he have to do it when Inuyasha was just a few feet away, listening to every word?

"Listen, you're really nice, and I'm flattered that you want to go out with me, but my life's..._unbelievably_ complicated right now," Kagome offered apologetically. "Between school and spending so much time...at the hospital, I wouldn't feel right making any plans with you." She brightened and winked. "Besides, you're a great guy. I'm sure there are plenty of girls who'd like to go out with you!"

She nearly fainted when she heard a soft growl coming from the well.

Thankfully, Hojo didn't seem to notice. "I've already told you, the only girl I want to go out with is you. I'll just wait until you're not so busy," he declared matter-of-factly.

How was she supposed to argue that logic? Especially when Hojo seemed incapable of taking a hint. "Um...okay, I guess..."

She jumped when the sound of nails grinding against the wood of the door met her ears, and this time, Hojo heard it too.

"What was that?" he asked, twisting around and craning his neck to get a better look.

"Nothing!" she cried, grabbing his hand and spinning him around. "Just...erm...my dog!"

The growling got a lot louder, and Hojo cast her a concerned look. "Are you sure he's not dangerous?"

"No, he just doesn't like strangers," she explained before stepping away and turning her attention straight to where she knew Inuyasha was hiding. "But there's an easy way to take care of that."

"_Sit!_"

She turned back, smiling smugly to herself as a crash, followed by a soft groan floated from behind the doors.

"Well, I better go, but I'll see you in school tomorrow," Hojo said as he walked away. "And if you change your mind about the movie, let me know."

…...

"So I'm your dog now?"

Kagome glared. "What was I supposed to tell him? `Oh yeah, that's just this half-demon I know from feudal Japan.' Like he'd believe that!"

"That's about as believable as, `I got covered in dirt from sweeping the shrine.'" Inuyasha snorted derisively. "He seemed pretty gullible to me, and he's even weaker than Kouga."

"Get over it, Inuyasha! He's just a friend!" Kagome cried.

"He's a guy!" Inuyasha screamed back.

"So? So's Miroku," she pointed out, then faltered when Inuyasha's eyes widened. Using the lecherous monk probably wasn't a good basis of comparison, she realized. "Okay, bad example."

And she couldn't say Kouga, and Shippo was just a kid... "You! You're a boy, and we're friends, aren't we?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, then snapped it shut. Sure they were friends, but that was different.

Then it hit him. "He's in one of the pictures in that photo-book-thing in your room."

Kagome blinked. "You mean my photo album? Wait, when did you-"

"And he said you've gone out with him!" he accused heatedly, cutting her off. This time, he knew he'd struck gold when Kagome's face flushed, and she looked away. He sneered knowing he was right, but only for as long as it took for what her facial expression meant to hit home.

As soon as it did, he knew he'd have traded a thousand times of being right if she'd have only denied it.

"I can't believe you!"

"Me?" Kagome didn't bother to hide her indignation, and she threw the folder she'd been clutching in her hand down. "_Me?_ What about you, huh?"

"Wha...what?" He was starting to get the feeling he should've shut up when he had the chance.

"Yeah, you," Kagome seethed as tears began building in her eyes, blurring her vision. "You're not my boyfriend, so I'm free to go on a date if I want to! And how many times have I caught you and Kikyo during one of your little meetings, huh? You two usually do more than just talk about going on a date. I know my personal favorite is when she tried to kill me while you two were kissing."

She was beyond grace or tact, and seemingly unaware of Inuyasha's suddenly stony features. "Believe me, you don't have the corner of the market on seeing someone you care about with someone else, but I guess that doesn't even apply to you, does it?" she croaked. "I mean, you've decided to be with Kikyo in the long run, so it doesn't even matter what I do, or who I go out with. You said it yourself, remember? I'm just your Tama detector."

Her anger and her energy were both spent, and Kagome sighed in defeat. "I'm going inside," she stated flatly. "I'll tell Mom you'll be staying here tonight."

Inuyasha didn't move when Kagome walked away, didn't even look up. He simply stood there, letting her scathing words echo in tandem with what Sango had mentioned earlier that day.

_"My personal favorite is when she tried to kill me while you two were kissing..."_

But he'd been under some kind of spell, and he'd rescued her in the end.

_"You said it yourself, remember? I'm just your Tama detector..."_

He'd only said that because, when they'd first met Miroku, the monk had said he was in love with her, just because he'd told the groping priest to back off about the whole `have my child' thing. He'd never really meant what he'd said back then. Stupid girl, she knew that. _Everyone_ knew that.

_"If I were her, I'd be looking for someone in my own time."_

But that guy? He didn't look like he could protect a fly, let alone Kagome. Not to mention he seemed pretty short in the brains department. She didn't need another boy anyway. She had him; no matter how much they fought, he wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

She sure as hell wasn't going to any movie-whatever a movie was, it sounded dangerous to him-with that Hojo guy on Saturday. So he'd apologize for nearly busting out and ripping the guy apart, and he'd make sure she knew she meant more to him than just someone who could find jewel shards.

If he did that, she was a lot less likely to sit him to death when he told her she wasn't going to anywhere unless he was with her.

With that decided, Inuyasha nodded inwardly. It would work. They'd never stayed mad at each other before.

"Flowers."

Inuyasha jumped, cursing himself for being so distracted, he didn't notice Kagome's grandfather standing beside him. "What are you talking about, old man?"

"We could hear you and Kagome yelling all the way in the house. I'd say she was pretty upset, considering she ran straight to her room and hasn't come down to eat yet," he answered diplomatically. Then he leaned closer, a knowing smile on his thin lips. "You were about to go and apologize, am I right?"

Inuyasha huffed, unwilling to admit anything to the weird old geezer.

"Mark my words. When you've really screwed up, flowers are the ticket," the old man declared over his shoulder as he made his way back to the house. "Works every time."

Inuyasha waited until the man was out of sight before relaxing once again. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When it came to spells and sutras, the old man was a joke, but he figured taking his advice about women couldn't hurt. He had a daughter and two grandkids, after all, so he must have done something right.

Nearly half an hour and a nasty battle with a rosebush later, Inuyasha perched himself on the ledge of Kagome's window with the sole survivor in his hand. Who'd have thought something so delicate could be such a bitch to get? His hands were still stinging from all the scratches the plant had given him.

_This had better work._

The room was dark, so it took him a minute of listening to the slow and steady rhythm of her breathing to realize Kagome was fast asleep, still fully dressed and sprawled, uncovered, on her bed. He would have left her, except he could still smell old, dried blood, which meant she'd forgotten about her arm.

He knew he'd never be able to get any rest with such a disconcerting scent in the air.

He tossed the flower onto an open book on her desk. "I should let it get infected and rot off," he scolded under his breath as he leaned over as inconspicuously as possible to see if he was right, which he was. Luckily, the tear in her sleeve was wide enough that he wouldn't have to wake her up to patch it up, he reasoned, searching for something to use as a makeshift bandage.

He finally settled for a folded up, flimsy paper sheet from a cardboard box on her dresser. He licked it and placed it on her arm, wiping as gently as possible while still getting it clean. He frowned; the gash was deeper than he'd thought, though she'd had worse. It took a little while, but he finally finished, satisfied his nursing would work for a few hours.

He yawned and looked out the window, letting his eyes linger on the waning moon. He only had a few more nights before the moon's cycle started again.

Inuyasha pushed the disturbing thought aside. He'd make it through the next one, just like he'd survived all the others. Plus, he'd have Kagome to keep him company while he waited for his human blood to run its course.

Without another thought, he seated himself against the wall next to Kagome's bed. He unhooked the sword from his sash and placed it over his chest before allowing himself fall into a light sleep, his mind switching into protective mode.

If anything stirred within ten feet of Kagome, he'd know it.

**.*~*~*End Day One*~*~*.**

A/N: So I've gone a fanfiction completion binge. Which is cool, because I had quite a few hanging, and my muse which has kept me on track for my second novel went on strike. So while contract negotiations continue on that front, here I am.

This was a fic I began in '03 if memory serves, and I was actually so disgusted with myself for letting it go that I adopted it out to another writer who I liked at the time. Naturally her style was different from mine, so even though she was willing and perfectly capable of completing the story and making it both very good and her own, the people reading it at the time made their displeasure known to me. And since I didn't see it on her profile on or here anymore, I'm kidnapping it back. Should she read this, please take no offense. I will ever be grateful you took it on, and I pray you received fewer nastygrams than me for your efforts.

What you read now is where I left it. I'm not revising anything but most of the horrific fangirl Japanese, but it's just not as cool as it used to be to me. Everything else is just as I wrote it the first time, so if anything after 3.1 looks different style-wise, that's because I'm nine years better than when I began this. :) I am still a terrible self-editor though, and have yet to utilize 's beta reader system. Sad, but true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Day Two **

…**...**

Kagome groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as the alarm clock continued to buzz relentlessly. She'd hoped it'd just been part of the weird dream she'd been having. Unfortunately, a good look at the time proved the wake-up call which invaded her dream was all-too real. Just like the fact she was running very, very late.

"Oh crap!" she cried, jumping out of bed and flying to the closet. She dug out a spare school uniform-her mother had begun keeping several spares handy for her since traveling with Inuyasha-and threw the one she'd worn to bed in the trash can. She threw the new one on, quickly ran a brush through her hair, shoved her books into her bag, and raced down the stairs.

She nearly fell over when she ran headlong into Inuyasha.

"Wait, what are you..." She fell silent when the previous day's events came flooding back. Inuyasha hadn't been able to get back through the well, she remembered. Maybe if he tired again...

Inuyasha shook his head. "I tried the well already, and it's not working."

Damn. Then again, it may have been a blessing in disguise. "That's okay, you can just stay here today, and we'll try it together when I get home. Right now, I need you to do me a favor." She threw in a sweet smile, making Inuyasha take a cautious step back.

"What?"

"Can you take me to school?" she asked with a bat of her eyelashes.

Inuyasha relaxed visibly and shrugged. "Since you can't get out of bed on time, I guess it's up to me, eh?"

Kagome was too relieved to care about the jab. "Thank you!"

He turned his back on her to hide his blush and bent down. "Quit talking nonsense and get on," he grumbled half-heartedly.

Kagome blinked. "But we're not even outside yet," she mentioned.

"Do you want me to take you or not?" he snapped back. "If you'd rather be late-"

"No!" She tried not to think about what her mother or grandfather might say if they saw her getting a piggyback ride from Inuyasha, especially since she'd never mentioned it was her main method of transportation when she crossed over into the other world. Instead, she offered a silent plea to whoever might be listening and complied, and she let out a relieved sigh once they'd gotten out the front door.

Just as Inuyasha was about to make his first leap...

"Kagome?"

She closed her eyes and swallowed nervously while Inuyasha turned around and raised an eyebrow. When she finally did brave a glance, her mother chuckled softly and held out a small parcel.

"You almost forgot your lunch," she stated, her voice as oblivious as always. "Here you go."

Kagome looked from her lunch to her mother's face and back again. "Right...thanks, Mama," she managed after a minute.

"You're welcome. Have a good day at school," her mother replied with a wave. "Hold on tight," she added before going back inside.

"What was that all about back there?" Inuyasha questioned as they sailed through the air, using the rooftops as stepping stones above the bustling city streets below. "You act like no one's ever seen me giving you a ride before."

She shook her head. "Sure, you guys have, but not my mom!"

"What's the difference? I don't see what he big deal is," he muttered.

"Because she's my mother! It's embarrassing!" she explained impatiently. "Besides, my mom might get the wrong idea..."

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder as he jumped over the local super market. "What do you mean by 'the wrong idea'?

"Well...erm...you know," she fumbled, unsure of how to break it to him that her mother was a hopeless romantic, as well as quite old-fashioned when it came to matters of courtship. Didn't he remember how she reacted when she found out about Souta's crush on his girlfriend? And he was in third grade!

It took him a minute to realize what she meant, but when he did, he nearly lost his footing, which would have sent them plummeting from his perch along highest ledge of the bank. "What? She thinks we're...like that?"

"I don't know!" She ignored the burning in her cheeks as he took the final leap onto the roof of her school building; she'd never been so happy to get away from him. "It's not like I've asked her or anything!"

"But-"

"I have to go, or I'll be late," she squeaked. "I'll see you when I get home!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to stop her, but she was already at the door, and before he knew it, she was out of sight. He stared at it for several minutes, then huffed indignantly and took a seat so he could watch the goings-on below.

…...

"I'll try once more," Miroku called to the surrounding crowd. He was beyond exhaustion, but he growled it away and stood again, pulling the rosary from his arm. "Kazaana!"

Kaede called for Miroku to stop after a few fruitless minutes. "It is useless," she stated flatly. "As long as the seal remains intact, we have no way to move the debris blocking the well."

"Damn it!" Sango cursed as she helped support Miroku, who'd nearly fainted from his effort. "But why did Naraku do this? He didn't even look like he was trying to attack any of us, so much as the well itself.."

Shippo nodded. "And he always sends someone else to fight for him, right? So why'd he come himself this time, if he wasn't going to fight us?"

"Perhaps he did not think it necessary," Miroku responded weakly. "Since his piece of the Shikon no Tama is nearly complete, he is probably planning to gather the rest as soon as possible."

Kaede nodded in agreement. "With both Kagome and Inuyasha unable to return, he can do his work with little worry of interference."

"But what about Kagome and Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, panicking. "They'll be trapped until the seal's broken!"

"He'll have to unseal it eventually," Sango reasoned, "because Kagome-chan has pieces of the jewel with her. Without those, he won't be able to use its full power."

Miroku sighed helplessly. "It seems, for the time being, all we can do then is wait, but when he does finally remove the seal, we must be prepared for the battle."

"It's going to be the worst one yet," Kaede agreed. "Which means we all need to rest."

"At least we know they'll be safe until then," Sango added. "As long as they're in her world, there's no chance either of them will come to any harm before we fight Naraku. Maybe this was a good thing, after all?"

"You may be right," Kaede answered thoughtfully as an almost imperceptible smile graced her weathered face. "You may be right, indeed." Of course, she kept all the possibilities running through her mind to herself for the time being.

…...

After the normal rounds of greetings from her three closest friends and some quick cramming, Kagome took her dreaded make-up test, which she was surprised to find was easier than she'd expected. With an audible sigh of relief, she let herself enjoy being back in the safety of the schoolhouse, where the greatest danger she faced was being called to answer a question in front of the class.

Still, she couldn't help but worry about what was happening to her friends in the other world. Sure, Inuyasha being stuck on her side of the well was a problem, but what about everyone else? What could've happened to cut them off? And how long would it take to get back?

The lunch bell rang, and she saw her friends heading her way, so she pushed her thoughts aside.

"So how'd you do on the test?"

Kagome shrugged. "I think I did okay, actually, but we'll see."

"Since it's so nice today, why don't we eat lunch outside? We can go over the math homework from last night too."

"Sounds great," Kagome answered, then blanched. "Oh no, I didn't finish it!" She groaned. "You guys go without me. I don't have much left, so I'll catch up with you in a little while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just save me a shady spot," she replied, waving them away.

Once the group had left the room, Kagome cursed under her breath and pulled her book out of her backpack. She wasn't sure if she even remembered what page she'd been on, but as soon as she plopped it onto her desk, she noticed a strange lump between the pages; she figured she'd left her pencil in her place, and she smiled thankfully.

She froze as soon as she flipped to the suspicious spot, and her eyes fell onto the delicate red rose lying in the crease. She immediately ran through all the people who could've put it in there, but, unbelievable as it seemed, there was only one who she knew would've had the opportunity.

Homework forgotten, Kagome ran her fingers over the pedals, still soft, despite the wilting edges.

_No way. Inuyasha wouldn't have given me this...would he? _

There was only one way to find out, so she picked the flower up gently before running out of the room and up the stairs which led to the roof of the building. Sure, he'd probably left by now, but...

As soon as she flung the door open and stepped into the sunlight, Inuyasha's head popped out from around the corner.

"Is it over already?" he asked. "You usually take longer to get done."

It took Kagome a moment to find her voice. "I...no, it's lunchtime, but..."

Inuyasha stepped out from where he'd hidden and scratched his head. "So what's up?" he asked. "You don't usually come up here."

"I...wait! How do you know what I do when I'm at school?" she retorted suspiciously.

He stammered weakly for several seconds, and a crimson blush spread over his cheeks. Then he noticed the flattened rose in her grasp, and his embarrassed expression turned to one of annoyance. "Hey! What the hell'd you do to it?" he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her hand. "Do you have any idea what I went through to get that thing?"

"What? Maybe if you'd told me you put a flower in my book, I wouldn't have crushed it!" she shouted back. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but stopped when it dawned on her what it all meant, and she felt her anger melt away.

Inuyasha also noticed the change and gulped nervously.

"You...did you really pick that flower for me?" she ventured tentatively.

"I...uh...Well, the old man said...erm...," Inuyasha fumbled, "you know...since you were so mad about yesterday and all...and with all that stuff you said..."

Kagome bowed her head guiltily. "Sorry. I didn't mean any of it. I was just angry, and I said a lot of stuff I shouldn't have," she admitted.

"So you really didn't mean it? You're not still pissed at me or anything?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine now. But...thank you for the rose."

"Feh, if I'd known you weren't serious, I wouldn't have bothered fighting with that stupid bush to get it," he huffed, turning away to hide the second wave of color painting his face.

"I'm sorry I didn't see it before I closed my book on it," she stated regretfully, rolling the stem around in her fingers before putting it up to her nose and inhaling deeply. "It still smells good."

He faced her once again and shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. You might as well throw it away."

"Dummy," she began, but stopped when Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. This is the first flower you've ever given me. It's almost like a making-up gift after a lover's quarrel...of course I'm not gonna throw it away! Still, she knew better than to say it out loud, so she pulled it protectively against her chest instead.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kagome replied evenly. "I'm keeping it."

He cleared his throat, then rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

She grinned; he never ceased to surprise her with his roundabout, random acts of romance. It was too bad he probably didn't even realize what he was doing, or just how much it meant to her. "I'll see you when I get home," she said, walking away and opening the door to the stairwell. "We'll try the well again after dinner."

"I'll wait," he replied flatly. "I'm already here, and I don't feel like sitting in your room all afternoon with nothing to do."

"Well...okay, but don't do anything here either," she commanded sternly. "Last time you hung around too long, you ended up on the evening news."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, waving her away.

Kagome looked back one last time. "I'll meet you up here after school then."

"Yep."

Once she was out of sight, Inuyasha sat down and sighed. Kagome had no idea how confusing she was sometimes. But he couldn't help but grin ever so slightly. She kept it after all. Maybe the old geezer was onto something with the whole flower thing.

Two floors down, Kagome sat back down and finished her dreaded math problems, humming an upbeat tune the whole time.

…...

The day seemed to drag on, but, finally, the last bell rang. Kagome was collecting her notes when her friends surrounded her desk.

"Hey, Kagome-chan! Since you skipped out on us for lunch, how about coming with us for some hamburgers before heading home?"

She almost agreed, but she remembered Inuyasha waiting for her on the roof in the nick of time. "Sorry, I can't today."

"Why not? We don't have much homework tonight..."

She shifted slightly, and two of the three girls shared a suspicious glance.

"Maybe Kagome-chan already has plans."

"Iie, not really," Kagome replied. "It's just...erm...I need to get home as soon as possible today."

"Why? Oh no! Are you not feeling well again?"

Kagome waved the girl's concern away. "I'm fine right now. It's just..." My half-demon friend is waiting for me, and patience isn't exactly his strong suit...

Yeah, that would go over really well, if she didn't mind her classmates thinking she was sick in the head along with all her other mystical ailments.

"I have to run," she stated after a moment of tense silence. She tried not to feel too guilty as she finished gathering her books and rushed out of the room, leaving her friends staring at her retreating back.

Once she reached the top of the building and saw Inuyasha, she nearly threw him off balance when she jumped on his back, commanding him to go.

"What the...what's the rush, huh?"

"Please," she begged, "just go!"

With an inaudible growl, he obliged. He looked over his shoulder at her blushing face as they sailed through the air. "Alright, we're gone. So what's got you so jumpy, huh?"

"I don't like lying to my friends," she snapped.

"So...don't."

Kagome fought back the urge to knock the shit out of him, only because they were so high in the air at the moment. "I can't do that! I know you're used to all kinds of weird stuff, but it's not like that here."

"I dunno what the big deal is," he mumbled. "Your world's a hell of a lot stranger than mine. Miniature people talking in boxes and standing still on that thick paper stuff..."

"Television and photos aren't weird," Kagome interjected.

"What about those places where you can hear people singing, but there ain't nobody around to do it..."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Stereos are perfectly normal."

"Not to me, they're not," he argued. "And look at all that," he added, nodding toward the crowded street below. "What's with those things? They're loud and they stink worse than any demon in my world."

"Maybe so," Kagome conceded, "but cars go a lot faster than bicycles or running on foot."

Inuyasha snorted. "Maybe your feet, but not mine. I could outrun one of those things, no problem."

Rather than arguing with him, Kagome just shook her head and enjoyed the view the rest of the way home. She had to admit, traveling on his back did have its advantages. It even included drop-off service right to her room, thanks to the fact that Inuyasha had made a habit of coming in through her bedroom window any time he came to her house.

They didn't waste any time. She threw her book bag through the open window, locked it back, and signaled to Inuyasha, who took one last smooth leap, and landed right in front of the building sheltering the well.

"It'll work today," Kagome stated confidently. "I know it will."

"Well, if you're so sure about it, why aren't you taking the supplies?"

"Shut up, I'm just trying to be optimistic!" she snapped.

He shrugged. "What for? If it'll work, it'll work. If it won't, it won't. We're just wasting time out here at any rate."

She scowled, but let it go and followed him inside. They both walked to the edge and peered down, looked at each other, then back down into the darkness.

"Looks normal, doesn't it?" Kagome whispered.

"Yeah, so that means the problem's on the other side," he replied.

Although he tried to sound calm, Kagome could detect the hint of anxiety in his voice. Not that she blamed him. Any number of thing could've happened, and they had no way of knowing and, worse, doing anything about it.

We're probably worrying for nothing. I'll bet it's gonna work this time.

"Let's go, Kagome."

She nodded and grabbed onto his arm as they leapt simultaneously.

Her hold on him was the only thing which kept her from hitting the ground full force. Instead, she threw him off balance and ended up right on top of him, both of them cursing and blushing madly as they tried to untangle themselves from one another.

"It didn't work," Inuyasha growled after a minute.

Kagome moaned and grabbed a fistful of dirt. "I don't get it! Why won't it work? I have my shards, and I can sense the gateway, but..."

Inuyasha frowned. "Something must've happened to the well on the other side. Something that can block us from getting back."

"But what? And who could've done..." Kagome's words trailed off, and she gasped. "You don't think-"

"Damn it, I'm gonna get through this thing," he snarled, his hand finding the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

Sure, she was all for trying to get back, but not if it meant destroying the well on her side, and she grabbed his wrist before he could unsheathe his sword. "Wait! If you try to use Tetsusaiga, you might make a hole in the ground, but you'll bury us in the process!"

He ground his teeth together, but relented for the moment. "Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit here while Naraku does whatever he wants?"

Kagome sighed. No, she didn't want that at all, but she didn't see what choice they had. "I don't know...I just hope everyone's alright."

Inuyasha wanted to slice Naraku in half for pulling such an underhanded stunt, trapping him in Kagome's world, and Kagome's apparent willingness to give up so easily just added fuel to the fire. He jumped up and opened his mouth with every intention of demanding she quit acting like a coward and bending to Naraku's plan-whatever it was.

When she lifted her gaze to meet his, the worry in her eyes and the pale color of her skin stopped him short.

Damn it, he swore silently. She looked dangerously close to tears, and if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was to see a woman cry. Especially when the woman was Kagome.

"Miroku hasn't found a girl to have his baby, so he won't die yet," he proclaimed dryly, "and Sango can take care of herself. Don't worry about them." He turned his face away, though he kept watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Besides, we've been fighting a lot lately. A break doesn't sound so bad."

Kagome smiled gratefully. "Yeah, I guess so. And even if it is Naraku who's keeping us from getting back, he'll have to open it back up eventually, since I've got shards of the jewel."

"Yeah, and when he does," Inuyasha assured her with a smirk, "I'll make him pay for everything he's done."

No battle with Naraku would be as easy as he was making it sound, she knew, and she was still scared for her friends in the other world, but hearing him make the claim just to cheer her up worked nonetheless. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Yeah, well...just don't cry or anything like that. We'll get back, one way or another," he mumbled as he offered her a hand so she could get back on her feet.

…...

"So, you can't get back yet?" Kagome's mother questioned as she passed Kagome the plate of pickled radishes.

"Not yet."

"So that means Inuyasha's staying again tonight, right?" Souta asked excitedly. "Cool! Hey, maybe you can play my game with me, or we could go outside and play soccer, or do you wanna take a bath after supper?"

Kagome and Inuyasha both choked at the mention of a bath. Inuyasha still remembered the scented bubbles overpowering his sensitive nose, as well as the scalding water, vividly. Not to mention how much it hurt to have Kagome's trash can thrown in his face. At the same time, Kagome was suddenly assaulted with images of a wet, naked Inuyasha running into her room again.

"_NO_!" they both cried, their faces bright red.

"Don't be shy," her mother chirped sweetly. "Kagome always takes a bath first thing when she comes home."

"Mama," Kagome whined as the color in her cheeks went up another notch, "Inuyasha doesn't need to know that!"

"Feh, is that what takes you so long when you come home?"

"Oh man, Kagome spends forever in there!" Souta piped up. "I swear, half her time is spent in the bathroom!"

"Shut up!" Kagome's embarrassment was long gone. Now she was really annoyed. "First of all, it's rude to talk about what a girl does in the bathroom," she stated. "Secondly, there's a lot I have to do, so it takes a while. I mean, what would you do if you were stuck walking around for days on end, having to sleep in the dirt and grass, huh? And every time we have to fight some demon, I get all this nasty gunk all over me and in my hair, and unless we get lucky and find a hot spring, I have to wash it off in these really cold streams!"

"You make it sound like a chore," Inuyasha grumbled half-heartedly. In truth, he'd never realized it bothered her so much. "But I guess, compared to your world, mine's pretty rough."

Kagome felt a pang of guilt in her gut. "That's not what I meant..."

"I think it sounds wonderful," her mother cooed, making everyone look at her. "No big buildings or vacant lots. Just lots of trees and small communities. Lords and princesses and monsters. It must be like a fairy tale!"

"You know, I probably know a great deal about what Kagome sees in the other world," her grandfather interjected. "I happen to know that the most common demon in this region five hundred years ago was fearsome wolf demon-"

Kagome was sure Inuyasha would break his plate in two by the look on his face, so she quickly laughed to distract him. "Actually, there aren't too many of those in the villages. They tend to stay more in the mountains."

"And they're all a bunch of wimps," Inuyasha growled, "who talk too much and think they're strong 'cause they're using shards of the Shikon no Tama. But that's alright," he went on, oblivious to the strange stares he was getting. "The next time I see that Kouga jerk, I'm gonna make him regret ever meeting me. And you're not stopping me either," he added, glaring at Kagome.

She returned the look with one of her own. "What do you want me to do? Every time you two meet, you're either about to battle Naraku or one of his detachments, or one of you is too beat up to fight any more! What do you expect me to do? Let you kill each other?"

"Yeah, that's what I want!" he shot back. "That's the point! Or maybe you don't want me to hurt your wimpy wolf, eh? Then you wouldn't be able to flirt with him all the time."

"Kagome's flirting with a wolf?" Souta questioned.

Kagome jumped up. "I don't flirt with him! And he's not a wolf-wolf. He's a wolf demon."

Souta frowned. "Oh...so he's like Inuyasha?"

"Don't compare me to that bastard," Inuyasha shouted, getting to his feet as well and spinning to face Kagome. "If you'd quit protecting him, I'd have already gotten rid of him, and taken the Shikon shards he has. That is what we're supposed to be doing, remember? Retrieving the shards of the Shikon no Tama?"

"I know that!" Kagome spat. "It's just...we can get them anytime. As long as Naraku doesn't get them, who cares if Kouga-kun uses them a little longer to protect the wolf tribe?"

Inuyasha growled angrily. "The only thing I see him doing with those shards is grabbing you any chance he gets, spouting off about how you're 'his woman'."

"You don't let him get away with that, do you?" Souta asked, following his sister's and Inuyasha's lead by standing up.

Inuyasha snorted. "Of course not! If it weren't for this necklace and Kagome's spell, I'd have shut his big mouth a long time ago."

"Sis, why would you want to stop Inuyasha from stopping a guy like that?" Souta crossed his arms over his chest. "If it were me, and some other boy was making a move on Hitomi-chan, I'd...I'd..."

Kagome raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You'd what?"

The boy's face colored slightly, and his expression became much less determined. "I don't know," he mumbled, then set his jaw once again, "but I would do something! I wouldn't let anyone talk to my girlfriend like that!"

"See? And you're always making it out like I'm the bad guy!" Inuyasha barked. "Even your little brother agrees with me."

"Yeah," Souta confirmed. "It's a man's responsibility to protect the girl he loves!"

Inuyasha and Kagome froze for a minute before both turning on the younger boy, stammering in embarrassment. They stopped only when Kagome's mother giggled.

"Ma-mama, we're not really...I mean, it's not like...when he was talking about girlfriends, he was talking about Hitomi-chan, not-"

"Kagome and Souta are growing up so fast," her mother cooed happily as she began collecting the dinner dishes and taking them to the sink. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, coming back into the dining room. "Since Inuyasha will be spending the night again, would you like to stay in the guest room, or would you rather sleep in Kagome's room again?"

Under normal circumstances, Kagome wouldn't have thought twice about someone mentioning their sleeping arrangements, but in light of the current discussion, hearing her mother talk about a boy spending the entire night in her bedroom with such ease made her want to crawl under a rock and die with shame.

"Mama!"

Inuyasha, on the other hand, shrugged indifferently, oblivious to Kagome's discomfort. "I don't need stuff like that. I'll sleep where I always do."

"Are you sure?" her mother asked. "At least let me bring you a few blankets and an extra pillow then-"

"No," Kagome cut in, glaring meaningfully at Inuyasha. "He'll sleep in the spare bedroom tonight," she declared firmly.

Inuyasha blinked. "What for?"

"Because it's not good for a boy and girl to sleep in the same room," she replied calmly.

Her grandfather nodded. "Very true, very true..."

"Huh?" He folded his arms over his chest. "Baka, we do it all the time, and you've never complained about it before."

"That's only because we don't have any choice a lot of times when we're in your world," she explained impatiently.

"Feh, I don't see what the big deal is."

Kagome's mother smiled warmly and patted Inuyasha on the arm, making him jump. "It's all right if you want to stay in Kagome's room," she assured him. "I'm happy, knowing you are so diligent, and that you take such good care of her."

It was Inuyasha's turn to be embarrassed, but before he could argue with the woman, she was walking down the hall, humming softly to herself. Unsure of what else to do, Kagome and Inuyasha turned their backs on each other. Kagome stomped up the stairs and into her own room, while Inuyasha plopped down in front of the television, where Souta quickly pestered him into trying out a video game.

…...

No matter how hard she tried, Kagome couldn't concentrate on her homework. Especially not since her mother had laid out a pallet for Inuyasha on the floor right next to her bed. She'd almost told her mom not to bother, since the half-demon slept sitting up more often than not, but decided against it. It was just too mortifying to think about starting that conversation up again.

For the twentieth time since sitting down at her desk, she spun her chair around and stared at the fluffy yellow blanket and pillow, both lying so innocently on the floor. It was just as distracting as Inuyasha, sitting like a statue on her bed.

She knew he was staying out of her room on purpose, either because he was still mad at her, or because he thought she was still angry with him. Either way, she told herself to be thankful for the privacy.

But she wasn't. Far from it.

"Inuyasha, you idiot," she mumbled, though there was little bite in her soft tone.

He really was a simple-minded, insensitive jerk sometimes-she knew that better than anyone-but she also understood it wasn't all his fault this time. What he'd said had been true, they had slept in close proximity countless nights since beginning their journey to collect the jewel shards. And no, she'd never complained about it, mainly because, with demons around every corner, it was comforting to have Inuyasha so close.

As long as he was nearby, she could relax; despite the danger, she knew she would be safe.

Trying to study equations was a lost cause, she decided with a sigh, and she slammed the book shut. Pushing it to the side, she drug her book bag from under her desk and began digging for her English textbook instead.

What she found, tucked away in the back pocket, was the rose.

"I give up," she moaned, pulling the wilting flower from her bag and letting her fingers run over the dying petals. "There's no way I'll get anything done now."

She leaned forward and propped her head on her arm, letting her eyes go out of focus as she twirled the flower around in her fingers. It was still beautiful, even though the rich red was now becoming a deep violet hue which became almost black at the edges, and the stem was rigid from lack of soil or water.

For some reason, she wished Sango-chan was there. Sango-chan wouldn't make a big deal about Inuyasha giving her a flower. She'd just smile a little, or maybe nod behind Inuyasha's back so no one would be on the spot, but just to let Kagome know she understood.

Of course, if Miroku caught wind of it, he'd take the opportunity to tease Inuyasha with cunning, vague jabs which would lead to Inuyasha chasing the monk until one of them got tired or Kagome used her magic to stop Inuyasha in his tracks.

As for Shippo, his comments wouldn't be vague or discreet, and would inevitably lead to the young fox demon sporting a huge knot on his head, she mused.

"I wonder how they're doing," she murmured sluggishly as her half-lidded eyes finally slipped shut, and she began to dream about her companions, and what they might be facing at that moment.

Downstairs, Inuyasha was hunched over, growling impatiently.

"This thing sucks."

Souta laughed as his fighter performed another fancy finishing move on Inuyasha's man. "I told you, you have to do it like this," he instructed, starting another round and demonstrating a series of buttons to push and directions to move on the controller. Inuyasha watched closely, then tried to imitate it, only to have the same problem he'd had for the past hour. Every time he attempted to push one of the round things, his claw would hit the one next to it as well, making his character jump into an attack rather than dodging it.

Fighting a real enemy was a hell of a lot easier, he decided, and tossed the controller down. "How long is she gonna be studying?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh...I don't know," Souta replied, scratching his head. "Usually she's asleep by ten..."

"How long is that?"

Souta glanced at the clock on the VCR. "Well, it's nine-thirty now, so...half an hour."

Inuyasha took a breath and closed his eyes while Souta watched with great interest. Of course, everything the hanyou did was cool to the younger boy.

"Hey."

Souta leaned forward expectantly. "Yeah?"

"How long is half an hour?" Inuyasha questioned, making Souta nearly fall over.

"Um...not long," the boy answered. "I can tell you when it's been thirty minutes," he offered hopefully.

"Is thirty minutes the same as half an hour?" Inuyasha cracked an eye open and saw the kid nod. "Fine," he agreed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Souta grinned; it would give him more time. "Can you tell me about the other world? I mean, is it really dangerous, and are there a bunch of monsters and stuff? My sister doesn't talk much about it when she's home, but I know she's always buying lots of first-aid supplies before she goes over there," he rambled, "and she told me she uses a bow sometimes. Is she good at it? Or do you have to protect her all the time? Why is she the only one who can go to your world? Are you the only one who can come here? What does she do, besides help find those jewel things? Is she really the only one who can see them? Where do you-"

"Dummy, how am I supposed to say anything if you won't shut up," Inuyasha snapped, cutting the boy off. "Go ask her about it." He was about to get up and go upstairs, and not worry about whether Kagome was finished or not, but when Souta's expression became somber, it made him wait another minute.

"I've asked her, but she won't say much," he replied. "I think she doesn't want us to worry, but," the boy frowned, and his eyes shifted to his hands, "I've seen Mama throw away a lot of her clothes after she comes back, and they've always got big holes and blood on them. She keeps a lot of bandages and stuff in her room too, so none of us know for sure how many she uses for herself, unless she's got a cut on her face..."

Inuyasha considered Souta's words for a while. He'd never thought all that much about it, but as he remembered earlier that day, sitting on the roof of Kagome's school and watching as people walked in every direction, talking and laughing like they didn't have a thing to worry about... He'd seen lots of things he thought were dangerous in the strange world, and yet, no one ever looked like they were sick or hurt or anything else. On top of that, he'd noticed, as he and Kagome traveled together, she often avoided returning home when she'd sustained of few of her more serious injuries.

Why hadn't he noticed it before? Was it because he'd just taken the differences for granted, or was it because Kagome never seemed to be all that scared of the things in his world anymore? She'd told him often enough that she wasn't afraid of Naraku or his detachments, but was she being honest, or just trying to act brave in front of him?

"Inuyasha?"

His head jerked up, and he pushed the troubling musings aside. He wasn't sure if he could say anything which would make her brother feel more at ease, so he simply decided to tell him the truth, as he saw it.

"We've seen a lot of bad stuff, and we've had to fight a lot of demons," he began tentatively. "Some are easy to beat, some aren't, but all of us-me, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo-we fight them together. Even though Kagome isn't from our time, and she isn't sure about her own power sometimes, she never runs away. Sometimes she should, but she's too damned stubborn to listen," he went on, his golden eyes distant as flashes of battles they'd fought together ran through his mind.

"She said at first that a lady in your world thought she was the reincarnation of somebody important. Is that really true?" Souta cut in, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Inuyasha nodded stiffly. "That's what the old woman says, anyway."

"You don't believe it? If she's not, then how'd Kagome get her powers?"

It had nothing to do with conviction; he just didn't like to think about the relation between Kikyo and Kagome, period. It'd been a while since the topic had come up, and that particular incident-when Kagome chose to stay with him, knowing he's promised his life to Kikyo-was one he would just as soon forget.

"Kagome is Kagome," he stated firmly. "She's a Miko, she can cleanse evil energies, and she can purify the Shikon no Tama. It doesn't matter how she can do it, or why. Besides, even if she isn't strong enough to fight a demon on her own, I am. As long as she's with me," he vowed, the steely conviction in his voice directed as much to himself as to her little brother, "I won't let anybody hurt her."

"Cool..." Souta breathed in awe. Now he knew why his sister was always so calm about going to the other world. Even if it was dangerous and spooky and filled with monsters, she had the coolest, most awesome bodyguard in the world! Witnessing Inuyasha's face left no doubt in Souta's mind. His sister would be okay, no matter what happened.

"Awesome!" he cried, snapping Inuyasha's attention back to him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the boy's admiring gaze. "Whatever," he huffed, standing up and letting out a loud yawn. Being in such a strange place always wore him out, so he decided, time or no time, he was going upstairs and going to sleep.

Souta didn't object. He just kept smiling as Inuyasha turned the corner and made his way up the stairs and out of sight, assured that his sister was in good hands.

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief at being free of the annoying kid, but only for as long as it took him to see that Kagome's bedroom light was still on.

"Damnit," he groaned, bracing himself to get yelled at as soon as he opened the door, but refusing to back down anyway. She'd studied long enough. He'd go in there, and she'd have to deal with it. End of story.

His mental command didn't seem to register any further than that, because he crept up to the door, opening it as silently as possible, his entire body braced and ready to be slammed down by the dreaded cry of "Inuyasha, sit!" at any moment.

For the second time in as many nights, he'd gone to all the trouble of sneaking in, only to find her dead asleep.

He fought back the urge to scream and wake her up, figuring the best thing to do would be to just turn out the light and count himself lucky. She'd get up from the desk eventually and go to bed, and if he was already asleep, she was a lot less likely to be mad at him.

It would've worked out perfectly, if only he hadn't caught the foreign scent lingering in the air.

He sniffed again to pinpoint the bittersweet smell, and found his nose leading him toward Kagome's sleeping form. After a few steps closer and another look, he found the source clutched in her hand.

He'd been curious about her reaction to finding it earlier, but seeing her with it, even while she was asleep, made his stomach flop and his mouth go dry, as well as confused and annoyed the hell out of him.

"It's just a flower," he remarked, then paused as he looked at it again. He hadn't noticed it af first, but her fist was curled so tightly around the stem, her knuckles were white. "What the..." He knelt down next to her chair, peering into her sleeping face, half obscured by the arm she was using for a pillow. Still, he was able to see one eye clenched shut and the muscles in her jaw and forehead flexing repeatedly. There was also a thin sheen of sweat covering her skin, giving it an otherworldly glow beneath the starlight filtering through the curtains and falling across her face.

She was dreaming, obviously, but about what? It couldn't be good, he reasoned. She rarely looked so frightened when she was face to face with a dangerous demon, so whatever she was seeing in her slumber had to be pretty bad.

He nudged her lightly. "Hey..."

She gasped, and turned her face away, burying it in the crook of her arm. "No...please..." she whimpered.

Inuyasha frowned and gave her shoulder a firm shake. "C'mon, Kagome, get up already."

"Please...don't...don't kill him," she pleaded breathlessly to an enemy only she could see. "I'll give them to you...just...don't-"

"Give what?" he asked, this time stepping behind her and grabbing both of her shoulders. "What the hell are you dreaming about?" he grumbled, ready to lift her head up himself.

Though her eyelids were still squeezed shut, he could see her eyelashes, glittering like diamonds just as a tear made its way from the corner of her eye to the tip of her nose and out of sight.

She's...crying?

Her shoulders trembled beneath his hands. "No...no, please..."

Something was really wrong, and he moved back to her side and knelt down. "Kagome, wake up."

"No..." she repeated, her voice hoarse and desperate.

"Damn it, wake up!" he shouted, unable to control his own anxiety any longer after witnessing hers.

Her entire body jerked, and her head shot up. "Noooooo!" she cried, her eyes frightfully wide, though at the moment, he could tell her panicked gaze was still focused on something within her own mind. As quickly as the outburst came, it went, and she turned to Inuyasha, blinking several times. "In...Inuyasha?"

"It's about time," he replied, sighing inwardly in relief. "I don't know what you were dreaming about, but-"

"It..." she breathed, "it was...just a dream?" Her eyes darted around her bedroom as if to confirm what he'd said, though her breathing remained labored and erratic.

He nodded and stood up with a huff. "Of course it was. There's nothing here to get so worked up about."

He yelped in shock when she suddenly jumped out of her chair, grabbing the front of his shirt and burying her face in his chest.

"What...what're you doing? What's wrong?" he choked out as her strangled sobs met his sensitive ears.

"Thank God, it was just a dream. I...I was so scared..."

He was glad the room was dark, or else she'd have seen him blushing once again; he'd been doing that too much lately. It was hard enough to keep his voice even, despite the painful tightness in his throat. "What were you dreaming about?" he ventured, scowling when she tensed up.

She closed her eyes and shook her head frantically. She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to talk about it at all. All she wanted to do was forget the horrible things she'd seen, even if they were nothing more than images in a dream.

And, unlike most times when she had a nightmare and would forget it almost immediately after waking up, she could still remember this one vividly.

She could still see herself, following Inuyasha down the well and through the magical gate where their worlds met. She could still recall trying to climb out after him, only to find herself suddenly trapped at the top as if cut off by an invisible barrier where she could see everyone, but no one could see or hear her.

Sango, Kirara, Miroku, Shippo, Inyasha, and even Kaede were all there, facing off with Naraku and his army of demons, led by Kagura and Kanna on his right, and Kohaku on his left. All the while, she kept hearing Inuyasha calling for her, asking where she was and if she was okay. When Naraku laughed, the fight began.

It had been like seeing her worst fears played out before her eyes. Each of her dearest friends were killed, one by one, until only Inuyasha was left, and he was tired and badly wounded. She'd screamed and pounded on the wall separating her from him, threatening...begging...anything she could think of. Anything to keep Naraku from striking the final blow.

From her vantage point, she could see Kanna standing to the side, patiently waiting as Inuyasha began going through the steps which would allow him to unleash Tetsusaiga's full power on Naraku, all the while, knowing what the result would be, but unable to warn him...unable to do anything at all.

The attack seemed to be in slow motion, even as the waves of energy roared toward Naraku...even as Kanna stepped forward and reflected it back.

For one moment, she thought she heard him say her name just before the spirals of power engulfed his body.

Then she'd woken up, terrified of what she'd see when she opened her eyes. But when she did, she was in her room, and Inuyasha was next to her, still in one piece. It really had just been a nightmare, but it'd seemed so real... She couldn't stop shivering. All she wanted to do was hold onto Inuyasha so she could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the steady sound of his heartbeat, just to assure herself he was really there.

"Uh...Kagome? You okay?"

She knew, somewhere deep down, he was probably really uncomfortable, but he'd have to deal with it. Her hands moved, winding around his waist. "I'm sorry," she offered softly. "I just..." She didn't know how to explain her desire to be so close to him without going into the rest of it, so she let her voice trail off.

He waited a minute, then sighed. "You sure you don't wanna tell me about it?" He felt her nod once against his chest. "Alright. I just wish I knew what it was about that dream that had you so scared." He knew, if she was really okay, she'd defend her pride by telling him she wasn't scared at all.

Kagome took a deep breath, her arms tightening around him. "I don't want to talk about it," she replied. "I just...want to stay like this for a little while. Is that okay?"

It was all the confirmation he needed; she was a lot more shaken up than he'd thought. It also helped him push his discomfort aside as his protective urges took over. "Well, I don't plan on standing up all night," he informed her before picking her up and carrying her to her bed. He sat her down, settling himself in next to her. She immediately rested her head in the crook of his neck, and he let his arm fall across her shoulder.

She was still shaking every so often, and he tightened his hold on her slightly. "Go back to sleep already," he growled half-heartedly. "Nothing bad's gonna happen while I'm here, okay?"

"Okay." She relaxed against him, a grateful smile on her lips. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He rolled his eyes even as his heartbeat sped up at an alarming rate. "Whatever. Just shut up and go to sleep. I don't want you blaming me if you oversleep again."

She chuckled under her breath-he was always like that-but thanks to his presence, she was sleeping soundly within minutes.

Inuyasha waited until the moon was on its way back down before trying to move, but as soon as he shifted, Kagome would groan and lean into him even more. After a few more tries, he gave up, resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't be getting a wink of sleep until she was gone the next day.

Still, it wasn't so bad, especially since he didn't have to worry about one of their nosy companions spying on them from the bushes like he did when they were in his world. As a matter of fact, he realized with a start, he actually liked it.

He'd never done anything like this with a woman before he met Kagome. Even Kikyo, he mused. Of course, that was because he'd never trusted anyone to be so close to him before Kagome had been thrown into his life. With Kikyo, everything was done at a distance. He could count the number of times they'd actually touched each other on one hand with fingers left over.

With Kagome, it was different. He wasn't fascinated with Kagome like he'd been with Kikyo, but Kagome, aside from being irrational sometimes, wasn't all that mysterious. She rarely hid anything from him, good or bad. He appreciated her honesty, even though it caused them to fight quite a bit.

It was nice, never having to guess where he stood with her, even if it did make him feel guilty when he let himself dwell on it.

She'd never actually said it out loud, but he knew she'd stick with him, no matter what. She'd proven it, time and again, and he wondered, as his eyelids became heavier and slid shut, if she believed him when he'd told her he'd do the same.

Kikyo or no Kikyo, nothing would change that. He just hoped she knew it.

**End Day Two**


	3. Chapter 3

**Day Three, Part One**

"Hey..."

Kagome shifted slightly and smiled. She was lulled by the warmth of the body she leaned against, comforted by the rhythmic breathing. Or she was, until her perch jerked one good time.

"Hey, can you get off me now? My arm's numb," Inuyasha groaned as he shifted a bit more. "Oh yeah, your mom's at the door too."

"What?"

By the time her mother opened the door a second later and popped her head in, Kagome lay sprawled on the floor.

"Oh good, you're awake. Are you two hungry? Breakfast is ready." With a sweet smile, the woman disappeared once again as though seeing her daughter red-faced and semi-upright on the ground were perfectly normal.

Kagome sighed and glanced at the clock. For once, she wasn't late at all, which helped take the edge of her nerves caused by the rude awakening. Then she turned to Inuyasha and frowned. "Are you okay? You look tired."

He scowled back, or tried to, but ended up letting out a loud yawn instead. "I can't imagine why," he retorted moodily. Then he stood and stretched, wincing as he moved. "I'll go downstairs while you do whatever it is you do to get ready."

"Um, Inuyasha?" He stopped in the doorway and turned around. She lowered her eyes shamefully. It was embarrassing he'd gone to so much trouble just because of a harmless nightmare. "I'm sorry, you know...about last night..."

"Don't worry about it," he replied with a shrug. "I'm just wondering what could've gotten you so worked up. Do you remember any of it now?"

"No," she lied. Many of the details were hazy, but the image of her comrades being murdered was burned painfully into her memory. Sure it was just a dream, but the possibility of witnessing a similar scene at some point in the future was very real. For that very reason, she didn't want to share what'd she'd seen with him. Somehow saying it out loud would make the risks impossible to bear.

Inuyasha noted the pallor of her skin and the unsteadiness of her breath-he doubted she even knew she was doing it-but let it go for the time being. He wanted to eat and go to sleep. Badgering her could wait He tossed her a nod over his shoulder and went downstairs, plopping down at the table. Her mother was out in an instant with a heaping plate, and his stomach growled in response to the strange and inviting scents of various foods he could only find in Kagome's world. Of course Kagome herself had attempted making him the same stuff many times, but she always overdid the spices, making most of what she brought him almost inedible. Her mother on the other hand seemed to take his sensitive taste buds into consideration when cooking. Surprising since she seemed so ditzy most of the time, but he had no desire to complain about his good fortune. He grunted in thanks and dug in.

Kagome came in awhile later, dressed and groomed as usual.

Her mother smiled sweetly. "Would you like a plate, or would you rather just have toast?"

She considered enjoying a full breakfast, but it would mean riding Inuyasha to school again. She snuck a look at him and decided against it. He'd obviously not slept well if at all since she'd used him as a leaning post. "I'll just take some toast with me," she answered.

Her mother pouted. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If I sit down and eat, I'll be late for school."

Inuyasha nearly choked on his fish. "What do you mean you'll be late? I thought you got up on time today!"

"I did!" she shot back. "I just don't usually worry about breakfast on school days."

"But if Inyasha takes you..." Souta piped up matter-of-factly.

She was already shaking her head. "I'm not gonna ask him to do that every day just because he's here."

Her brother looked at her like she was nuts, then beamed hopefully at his surrogate brother. "Well if you're not taking Kagome, can you take me to school on your back?"

"Forget it," came the united response from Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I'll take Kagome," Inuyasha mumbled through a mouthful of fish. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."

Kagome frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Just sit down and eat something already."

She grinned and took her place beside him. She leaned over and whispered, "Thanks," out of the corner of her mouth, and her smile broadened when he snorted back.

Kagome was floating on cloud nine by the time she walked into class. Even though he was totally exhausted, he piggybacked her to school. The only reason he didn't wait for her to get out was because she insisted he go home and get some sleep. Of course she was relieved he listened; her friends would've gotten suspicious if she ditched them after school two days in a row. Still, she admitted to herself she wouldn't have minded the barrage of questions and increased suspicion too much either.

…...

After a much needed nap and another fruitless attempt at traveling through the well, Inuyasha ventured into the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat. He stifled a yawn; compared to his world filled with evil youkai and tyrannical humans to battle, he was bored stiff in Kagome's time. Of course her time had plenty of stuff to investigate, one of which was the big white box-thing-Frigador? Refigator? Whatever it was called-he stood in front of at the moment. He was saved the trouble of trying to figure out how to make the thing give him food as footsteps approached and a familiar scent met his nose.

"Oh, you're awake," a cheery voice greeted from behind him. "Would you like some lunch?"

He turned and nodded, backing away to give Kagome's mom room to navigate around him and open the refrigerator. She pulled out a variety of foods in strange containers and laid them on the counter.

"Is a sandwich okay?"

He nodded even though he couldn't remember exactly what a `sandwich' was just because the various meats she was pulling out made his mouth water. As soon as she finished, he took the plate from her with a grunt of thanks and scarfed it down on the spot without bothering with the formality of sitting at the table. His nose had been right again; it was damned good, much better than Kagome's had been the time she'd brought a basketful with her a couple months earlier. He at three more in rapid succession and waved away the fifth, which her mom nibbled at instead.

He waited for her to leave or indicate she wanted him to get out of her way, neither of which happened. Instead, she put the dishes into the sink and turned back to him. "You still can't get back home?"

He shook his head stiffly.

"Do you have any idea how much longer you'll be staying with us?"

Another shake of his thick mane of white hair. "I don't know what happened on my side, so for all I know, I could be stuck here for a while." As an afterthought he added, "I'll stay out of the way, don't worry."

He was caught of guard when the older woman grabbed his arm. "Oh no! I think it's wonderful you're here!"

"You...you do?" he stammered, taken aback by her genuine enthusiasm.

"Of course," she answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Souta's been happier than I've seen him in a long time, and my father is too even though he won't admit it so easily. It also gives me a chance to repay you for taking such good care of my daughter," she explained, though her voice lost a great deal of it flighty tone. "Even though I can tell she's worried about what's happening to your friends, I think she's comforted a great deal by your presence. Knowing that makes me very thankful she has you to support her."

"I don't get it," he admitted, confused and pissed off because of it. "I'm half demon! I have fangs and claws that could rip you all to shreds, and you're trying to tell me you don't care? You're _happy_ she's with me?"

She considered him for several seconds. Then she beamed. "Yep, that's right."

All he could do for a while was gape at the woman. She stared back, her face showing a combination of maternal patience and polite curiosity. He suddenly realized he'd never actually talked to Kagome's mother before. He'd witnessed plenty of interesting conversations within the family, but he'd never spoken more than a few words to her, and never one-on-one. He also acknowledged the irony of the situation. He'd spent his entire life shunned by humans who were either scared of him or disgusted by his very existence. It was unnerving to be accepted, even welcomed, by a woman who was ten times weaker than those in his time. The only comparison he could make was with the scattered and vague memories of his own mother which rattled him more than anything else.

It was time to change the subject. "How much longer `til Kagome gets back?" he asked briskly while turning his back to her.

If she was aware of his unease, she didn't let on. "She won't get out of school for a few more hours," she supplied. "Did you plan to pick her up after school today?"

He almost said yes. "Nah, I better not. She wouldn't know to find me on the roof, and I can't just wait out in the open for her."

"Why not?"

He frowned at the innocent question. "I think she's worried about me scaring her friends or something since you guys aren't used to having demons running around."

"Well, I don't think it would be a problem as long as we cover those adorable ears of yours," she cooed fondly. "Of course, it would be better if you had some clothes...maybe some sunglasses, though it's a real shame to hide your eyes; they're such a lovely golden color..." She rambled under her breath for another minute while Inuyasha tried not to let it make him nervous. He failed, jumping when she clapped her hands together and grinned expectantly at him. "Then it's decided," she announced.

"What's decided?"

"We'll pick up Kagome and Souta after school and go shopping."

He blinked a few times. "Shopping? You mean we're going to the place with all the food?"

"No, no," she replied, her sugary tone back in full swing. "Since you may be here for a while, you can't very well stay cooped up the whole time, so we're going to go buy you some new clothes so you won't stand out so much."

"You mean they have places that sell stuff like that too?" he asked, still not sure what she was talking about.

"Oh, this will be so much fun!" she went on as though she hadn't even heard him. She pulled him out of the kitchen and ushered him to the living room. "I'll go ahead and run a bath for you, and while you clean up, I'll put your outfit in the wash and get you something to wear in the meantime. He threw a distrustful glare over his shoulder which she also either ignored or missed entirely. "I'll have your bath ready in just a minute," she called to him as she continued down the hall, leaving him staring dumbly behind her.

…...

On the other side of the well's gateway and just outside the door of Kaede's hut, Kirara's ears perked up. She lifted her head and sniffed before moving inside and nudging Sango. Miroku and Sango stopped talking looked at one another before following her out the door, grabbing their weapons of choice instinctively just in case. Shippo was right on their heels.

"Is it Naraku?" he squeaked, clambering onto the large feline's back He stared in every direction, finally stopping on an approaching mini-tornado. "Oh great, it's that jerk."

"I was wondering when we'd be seeing him," Sango muttered, barely suppressing a grin.

Miroku didn't bother trying to hide his. "Indeed."

Kouga's eyes were already scanning the group as the whirlwind his shard-enhanced legs always created finally cleared. Then he stuck up his nose and inhaled deeply for a second, before barking, "Where's Kagome? I haven't been able to catch her scent lately."

Shippo growled and shook his fist at the wolf demon, whom he'd never totally forgiven for trying to feed him to his clan during their first encounter. "It's none of your damn business."

"Now, now," Miroku chided mildly, stepping between he two before Kouga could respond, "there's no need to be hostile. We're all on the same side, right?"

"Like hell we are," the cub snarled, though he sat down and turned his head as to ignore Kouga's presence entirely.

Kouga was undeterred, his gaze focused squarely on Miroku. "Where is she?"

The monk and the demon exterminator shared a brief look, both knowing it would be in everyone's best interest to give Kouga as few details as possible. "She had to go back to her time," Sango responded evenly. "I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"I don't remember her being gone this long before," Kouga stated as he searched their faces one by one, suspicion etched deeply into his features.

Miroku shrugged. "It is difficult on Kagome-sama, having to lead two separate lives."

Kouga watched them for another minute, then conceded with a long breath. "Whatever. What about Dog Shit? I can't smell him around either."

Miroku and Sango looked at one another again, but the decision on what to do was taken out of their hands.

"No that it has anything to do with you," Shippo piped up, "but he's staying with Kagome."

Whether it was what he'd said or the fox demon's look of triumph as he said it made no difference; Kouga saw red. "What? You mean that bastard is alone with her?"

In truth, Shippo didn't know if they were alone or not, but it didn't matter. "Yep, that's right, so why don't you just crawl back into your cave where you belong," he taunted fearlessly, despite the fact Kouga had begun a stiff advance on the group.

Kouga was fuming. How dare that weakling hanyou puppy boy try to hide out with Kagome? And in her own world no less! The damned half-breed was already way too close to his woman, and now he was pulling a slimy stunt like this...

"Where is it?"

Miroku and Sango both looked confused. "Where's what?" inquired Miroku politely.

"The place where Kagome goes, it's that well, isn't it? Isn't that how she gets home?" Kouga clarified with a deadly edge on his voice.

"Well yes, but no one can get through it except Kagome and Inuyasha," Sango explained slowly, hoping to calm the irate wolf demon down.

"Hn, if Dog Shit can go to Kagome's world, then so will I," Kouga seethed, turning on his heel.

Miroku, Sango, and Kirara with Shippo riding on his back all moved to stop him, but a fifth presence stopped them. "Let him go," Kaede urged as she walked into the sunlight. "Although we have been unsuccessful with banishing Naraku's barrier around the well, perhaps another demon enhanced by the power of shards from the Jewel of Four Souls can do what we could not."

Miroku's brow furrowed in thought. The elder miko made a fair point, he decided. Unlike Inuyasha, his pride was not a problem; he was well aware there were limitations to what humans, even ones as powerful as Sango and himself, could do. Perhaps it was time to fight fire with fire. Yet another questing peek at his lovely female companion affirmed she'd come to the same conclusion.

"At the very least we should keep an eye on him," Sango suggested. "He's bound to notice Naraku's scent, and when he does, I doubt he'll take it well."

Miroku nodded in agreement, and the troupe set off in the direction of the well. No one was surprised to find Kouga sniffing around frantically when they reached the opening.

"That low-life Naraku's been here," he growled accusingly to the group at large.

"Yes, but you need not worry for Kagome's safety," Kaede calmly replied. "Both she and Inuyasha were already in her world when he came and sealed the gateway between the worlds."

Kouga jerked. "You mean he put a barrier up to block it?"

"Yes. We're sure that's the reason they haven't returned yet," Sango answered.

Miroku nodded. "It seems to block us from getting too close as well as stops Kagome-sama from traveling through it. Of course, he'll have to remove it eventually," he continued, "so perhaps it would be to everyone's benefit to join us for the time being."

Kouga scoffed, turning his back on them. "Why the hell would I do that? All I have to do is smash this barrier."

"By all means," Kaede urged with a knowing stare, "do so if you can, but I must warn you: as far as I know, Inuyasha with the red Tetsusaiga is the only one who has ever broken one of Naruku's barriers."

As she expected, Kouga growled in determination and squared his shoulders, both hands curled into angry fists. "Feh, if that piss-smelling dog can do it, I can too. And if I find out he touched her, I'll kill him," he added under his breath.

And with no more warning he began a physical barrage against the sudden kaleidoscope of colors which signified the impenetrable divider between the opening of the well and the rest of the world.

…...

Inuyasha managed to get on the weird, fluffy, blanket-with-arms Kagome's mother had left for him outside the bathtub-she told him it was called a robe when he asked her, and he let her use the hair drying thing to speed up the process of getting the moisture out of his wild mass of silvery-white hair. She hummed a soft tune as she ran a brush through it, gently pulling at each tangle until the strands separated and straightened. She was even careful not to snag the edges of his tender ears.

"You really have the most beautiful hair," she commented as she continued to smooth his mane with long strokes. "Do all demons have hair like yours?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug. "Nah, just the ones that can look like humans."

"As children, I think we're all taught these days that demons would be horribly scary monsters." Her mother gave a wistful sigh. "It's interesting to think there are such handsome young men like you instead."

"Hmph, the ugly ones are wimps. It's the ones who look human you have to worry about. They're always the most dangerous."

"I doubt that," she argued gently. "Without those ears, it would be difficult to distinguish you from any other boy, and I don't think you're dangerous at all."

He couldn't think of a good comeback to her statement without revealing mistakes from his past he preferred to leave where they were. He wasn't about to tell her about his transformation or the fact he'd attacked Kagome the first time they met. Instead he simply snorted, crossing his arms while she finished with his hair. She did a minute later, and patted him softly on the shoulder as she stood. He stood and frowned as she gave him a good once-over.

She nodded to herself and beamed. "Now we just need to get you something to wear."

His frown deepened. "I can't wear this?"

"Oh no, dear, that's just for around the house," she told him as she turned and made her way down the hall and up the stairs, forcing him to follow her as she spoke. "When Kagome first told me you couldn't get home, I dug around and found some things which might just fit you well enough for now. I'm glad I remembered to air them out."

Once they reached the top of the stairs, instead of turning left into Kagome's room, her mother turned right and led him down the hall until they reached the last door which she opened for him. He stepped inside while she turned the light on. He knew immediately it was her mother's room; her scent was the only one in the air. The furnishings were similar to Kagome's, though the dresser and bed looked much older and more decrepit. The surface of the dresser was faded by time and sunlight, and there were several deep grooves and places where the varnish had been worn off over the years. It was all meticulously clean, he noted, even though it wasn't as dressed up as Kagome's stuff. The only things which looked as though they'd been replaced were the groups of picture frames. There was a group of pictures on a table beside the bed as well as several hung on both sides of the single window on the far wall.

While she pulled things from the closet and laid them on her bed, he studied the pictures on the table. One was of a young girl-unmistakably Kagome years earlier-cradling a baby he assumed was her brother with a look of immense pride on her face. Another looked more recent, with Kagome posing in her uniform and flashing a victory sign. The third was of Souta looking shy in yet another, uncomfortable uniform judging by the grimace on his face. The last one on the table was of the three of them together with their arms tangled around each other as though they were trying to keep their collective balance and failing miserably.

His inspection was interrupted by Kagome's mother's willowy voice. "I'm afraid there isn't much here considered fashionable these days, but there are a few plain t-shirts here and two pairs of blue jeans. I also found a pair of sweatpants if you like those better."

He looked from the table to the things spread out on the bedspread. He'd seen people in Kagome's world wear similar stuff, but it all looked uncomfortable as hell. He glowered at her mother for a moment, but when she nodded to him to go on, he gave up. They'd gone to the grocery store before, but he figured Kagome'd never let him hear the end of it if he paraded around her school in plain sight without at least attempting to blend in. "Just give me something," he growled impatiently.

Kagome's mother glanced over the shirts for a moment, then picked up one the same color red as his normal outfit. She also picked up one of the pairs of pants and handed it to him before walking out of the room to, he assumed, give him some privacy. He could hear her humming outside of the door as he took off the robe and worked his way into the t-shirt. It took him three times before he figured out which appendage went through what hole, but he finally managed to get everything situated the way he thought he remembered seeing on other people. It was a little tighter than he was used to, especially around his neck, but not as bad as he thought it'd be. He pulled the enchanted bead and bone rosary around his neck out from under the fabric and moved his arms around experimentally until he was satisfied with his upper body mobility.

He picked up the pants next. With a growing sense of dread, he sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. It was easy enough to tell where his legs went; that wasn't what worried him. It was the silver teeth looking thing at the top that made him nervous. There just didn't look like there was enough room for everything to fit up there, and he didn't even want to imagine what would happen if something got squished or pinched in that thing.

He put his feet in, managed after a bit of pulling to get them to pop out at the end of each leg, and stood awkwardly. He tugged them up gingerly until he got them over his hipbones and his hands were holding them up at his waist.

There's no way in hell this is gonna work.

He growled irritably. Didn't all humans in Kagome's time wear these things? If those weaklings could manage it, there was no excuse for someone like him, a powerful half-demon, to not do the same. With that in mind, he experimentally took hold of the zipper and slid it up, careful to keep anything of importance out of harm's way until he'd pulled it up as far as it would go. With a long, relieved breath, he fumbled with the button until he finally forced it through the whole on the other side, though it was feat in and of itself, trying to manage it while keeping his claws from tearing the fabric.

He'd been right; they _were_ uncomfortable as hell. He walked along the side of the bed, his distaste for modern dress growing with every step. The fabric was soft enough, but it still bugged him to be rubbing every inch of his skin all the time, not to mention things were bunching and riding up in places they had no business going.

A soft knock interrupting his internal rant. "Are you decent?"

He scowled. "Yeah, but," he complained as Kagome's mother stepped back in, "the...pants, right? They don't feel right."

"Oh my," Kagome's mother replied. "Well, they look like they fit you fairly well. I'm afraid I didn't have any underwear to fit you. Maybe that's the problem."

"Underwear?" he repeated blankly.

The woman nodded to herself. "Yes, we'll have to buy you some. I'm sure that'll make things much better."

He didn't have a clue what she was talking about, so he simply said, "Whatever." He tried to hide his discomfort by turning his attention to the large mirror above the dresser. He walked to it, looking himself over a few good times. It was weird; he really did look almost like a human, he noted uneasily. Then his brow furrowed as he realized something. "Whose stuff is this anyway? This isn't girls clothes is it?" he cried angrily.

Kagome's mother laughed lightly. "No, those aren't women's clothes," she assured him. Then her smile faltered slightly. "They...they belonged to my husband."

"You mean this is Kagome's dad's stuff?"

She nodded, then looked over his shoulder and pointed at the wall. "That's him right there."

He turned his attention to the pictures on the wall. It was obvious they were older than the last batch. A couple were black and white while the other pictures had a yellow tone to them. One was of Kagome's grandfather looking at least a decade and twenty pounds younger in front of his shop. Then there was another beside it, also featuring the old man with a woman beside him and a girl grinning brightly between them; Kagome's mom still smiled the same way as an adult, he mused. Another was of the three, though Kagome's mom was a young adult with long hair by then which she had put up for the picture, and she was wearing some flower patterned thing that looked like a cross between a dress and the robe he was wearing with a wide belt around her waist to keep it closed.

Up to that point he'd been scanning the images with mild curiosity, but it was the last picture, the one the woman pointed to, which stopped him short. Slightly larger than the rest, it had obviously been taken in front of the large tree where he'd first met Kagome. It was her mother, there was no doubt of that, with both arms around a slightly taller, dark-haired man whose resemblance to Kagome was staggering. He had the same eyes and smile. The man even had a similar wave in the back of his hair which, he noted, was a few inches past his shoulders, as well as identical unruly bangs in the front. There was a single gold hoop in his left earlobe and a thin, matching necklace around his neck.

"He looks different from most of the people I've seen here," he muttered without really meaning to.

Kagome's mother nodded. "My parents thought he was a troublemaker at first," she admitted with a sigh, "but I didn't care. I fell in love with him the first time I saw him, and they came around after a while."

"Kagome's never talked about him."

"I'm not surprised. She loved her father very much, so it's probably painful for her to talk about."

He relaxed a little after taking a good look to make sure he wasn't going to far with his questions. "So what happened? Did he get sick or something?"

There was a very brief flash of something over the smooth features. "No, he didn't get sick."

Inuyasha's eyebrows rose. "Nevermind, it's none of my business anyway," he stated, aware of the tension building in the air. He probably shouldn't have asked something so personal, he knew, but it had suddenly hit him he'd told Kagome about both his parents. He'd told her things about his memories of his mother he never shared with anyone, but in return, she'd never once said a word about her dead father. Then again, he'd never asked, he told himself. Maybe it wasn't on purpose; perhaps she'd accepted it so she no longer thought much about it one way or another. Still, it was one of the few things he could nail down they had in common, and he couldn't help being curious. Of course he would've hated being questioned the roles were reversed, so he was ready to let it go. Perhaps, he considered, he'd ask Kagome himself once they were alone.

Her mother surprised him when she spoke again. "It's all right, I don't mind talking about it."

Well, since she offered, he gave her his full attention. She sat down on the corner of the bed and motioned for him to do the same.

"It was the first time we'd been able to go out since Souta was born," she began, her expression growing distant. "We had dinner, went to the movies...it was just like when we were dating. It was really late when we started walking home, and it wasn't a very good part of town. We thought about calling a cab, but it was such a beautiful night..." She looked down at her lap and swallowed, but just as Inuyasha was about to give up on her continuing, she lifted her head again. "Some men came out of the ally and surrounded us. One of them had a gun. They took my purse and his wallet, but then one of them grabbed me. My husband told him to let me go, and then he charged at him. The boy with the gun shot him three times. I guess it scared them, because they ran away after that. I held him until help came, but there was nothing they could do to save him..."

Inuyasha stared open-mouthed at the woman who looked dangerously close to tears despite her slight smile. He didn't understand a lot of the details, but he got the gist of what she was saying.

Kagome's dad died so he could protect her mom.

"I...I didn't know stuff like that happened here," he managed out after a moment.

Kagome's mom nodded. "Unfortunately it does, but it's okay. It still makes me sad when I think about what happened, but I feel very lucky. I had the chance to be with him, to marry him, even have two beautiful children with him."

"But he died," Inuyasha stated after a moment. The conversation struck a chord with him. How could she feel _lucky_? The bottom line was the same in his eyes. The guy was gone.

"Yes, but I wouldn't trade one day with him for anything in the world," she replied. "Even if I had known what was going to happen, I wouldn't have changed a single thing."

Inuyasha took a deep breath. There was a question within his own mind which haunted him off and on, had bugged him more as time went on. Maybe...maybe Kagome's mom could give him an answer, since the situation, thought not the same, was close enough to his with Kagome. "You still would've fallen for him anyway? You'd have stuck with him, even if you knew you'd lose him in the end?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes."

"But...why?" he ventured impatiently, almost angrily. "If it's gonna make you sad, why put yourself through it?"

"Because to fall in love with someone who loves you just as deeply, who would even give his life, is very rare. Even if it's only for a little while, it's worth it." She regarded him knowingly, and he suddenly had the distinct feeling she hadn't been talking only about herself. "You can't close your heart just so you won't get hurt. For that reason, I don't regret my life with my husband. I love him and my children too much to do that."

He became quiet after that as his mind reeled. The woman's words echoed in his head, joined by the memory of Kagome the day she told him she'd stay with him even though he planned to go to Kikyo in the end. The image faded and was replaced, one after another, by all the times Kagome was near death during their journey for the Shikon no Tama. The final one, the one time he'd actually believed she was dead, burned through all the others. He could still feel the weight of her limp body in his arms, remembered clearly the ghostly complexion of her skin, the lack of color in her lips, and he'd never forget the burning sting of tears which had assaulted his eyes the moment she'd whispered his name, confirming she was indeed still alive, though the poison in her body had done a nasty number on her.

How would it have felt, has she not survived? He'd felt like a part of him died when he'd believed he'd lost her forever. Would he have been able to look back at some point and be glad he'd known her, or would he have wished they'd never met in the first place? There were plenty of times too when he'd been just as bad off. Had she felt the same pain? Did she suffer like when she thought about their future, when the time came for him to keep his promise to Kikyo? Did she really care for him so much, she'd endure that kind of miserable uncertainty just to be with him for a short time?

Not that he didn't want to protect Kikyo, he did. He wanted to make up for what Naraku had done to her, but it was different with Kagome. She didn't make him feel obligated to her. She didn't make him feel guilty or judge him for things in the past. He _wanted_ to be with her_, wanted_ to protect her. And, he admitted to himself, he wanted her to feel the same way as her mom did about her dad if something happened to him. He didn't want her to regret the time she spent with him. Even if he had to give his life to save her, he never wanted her to be sorry she was with him till the end.

His reverie was interrupted when her mother cleared her throat. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. As long as you're with her, I know Kagome's in good hands, and I'm sure she'll take care of you too." She stood and smiled brightly as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "We better find you some shoes and a hat so we can get going."

He wasn't sure what to say to the dramatic change in conversation, so he nodded dumbly while she began rummaging around in the closet once again.

…...

The final bell rang, jarring Kagome so she jerked her head off her desk. She yawned and piled her things into her bag just as her friends surrounded her desk.

"We're thinking of grabbing a milkshake and heading to the library. You want to come?"

Kagome considered turning them down; she was exhausted from the combination of the restless night she'd had and the long school day. Still, she knew she could use all the extra study time she could get, and the likelihood of getting it was a lot better if she went somewhere other than home. "Sure," she answered, snapping her bag shut and slinging it over her shoulder.

They wiggled through the small clusters of students in the halls until they finally made it out the front doors and into the sunlight, talking about their studies and recent additions to the gossip mill. Kagome listened and laughed with her girlfriends, enjoying their company, doing something normal for a change.

It didn't last long.

"Hey, Kagome-chan, isn't that your brother?"

"What?" She turned and sure enough, Souta was running toward them with a grin that reached his ears. She waited until he stopped in front of them, gasping and clutching his side, before speaking. "Souta...what're you doing here? I didn't forget something again, did I?"

"N...no," he panted, then straightened. "We're here to pick you up. We're going shopping!" he exclaimed so loudly several people around them turned to see what the fuss was about.

Kagome frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Mom came and picked me up from school and said we're all going to the mall."

"Mom's here?" Kagome gaped. She couldn't remember the last time her mom had shown up at her school. Then she blanched. "Wait a minute, where's..." She stopped and looked nervously at her friends, all of whom were listening intently.

Souta looked like he was trying to do his best impression of a dribbling basketball. "No, he's here too."

Her mouth went dry. "Wait a minute," she croaked in her best you're-ruining-my-life whisper. "Please tell me you didn't just say what I think you just said."

"Oooh, who's `he', Kagome-chan?"

"Is Souta talking about your boyfriend?"

"Kagome-chan's boyfriend's here? For real?"

Souta cried, "Yeah, he is!" just as Kagome wailed, "No, he's not!" Her three companions looked from one to other, obviously unsure what to make of the two.

Well, why don't we go see for ourselves?"

"No!" Kagome cried, but it was too late; Souta was already leading the animated trio down the lawn and pointing across the street. All she could do was jog to catch up as she cast a frightened glance in the direction Souta was walking in.

For several blissful seconds, she though Souta had been playing a practical joke on her after all. She saw her mother standing against the fence across the street chit-chatting with a guy next to her who was apparently waiting for someone too, but there was no sign of Inuyasha anywhere nearby. She told herself maybe he was close but had the good sense to stay out of sight. She let out the air she'd been holding and continued toward her mother and the good-looking guy with the long white hair...

White hair? But people don't have...

Her mind and body both froze; at the same moment, the beautiful golden gaze she knew so well turned, looked past Souta, and bore into her.

_Oh...my...God..._

He was, in a word, gorgeous. The crimson tee hugged him slightly, revealing a chiseled physique very few aside from her had ever actually seen. The jeans were probably a size too small judging by the way the front was stretched tightly over his...

_Oh my GOD!_

It probably wouldn't have been so bad had she not seen him naked several times. Because she had, seeing him in the skintight pants nearly made her go limp and she came dangerously close to dropping her book bag on her foot. She cursed herself even as she felt her entire face go red, forcing herself to look either down at his flip-flopped feet or up the baseball cap covering his ears. For a fleeting moment, she wondered what her friends would say if they knew such a hot guy really was her illusive boyfriend. It was their squeals which reminded her while she was gawking like an idiot, that's exactly what was happening.

She broke into a run, ignoring the pain in her back as her backpack slammed into it again and again until she reached the group, all of which with the exception of Inuyasha seemed not to have noticed her arrival at all. The girls were bombarding him with questions which he seemed to ignore, choosing to watch her intently instead.

"What are you doing here?" she asked irritably, considerably less winded than Souta had been since she was used to that kind of exercise from her adventures around the feudal era, though it did disguise the red in her cheeks.

"Your mom wants to get me some stuff for while I'm here," he responded, thoroughly unfazed by the angry edge in her voice.

The girls, realizing they'd probably learn a lot more by listening, stopped talking as soon as he spoke. Kagome barely noticed. Instead, she was more concerned with Inuyasha's demeanor. To her girlfriends, he probably seemed like the super-cool strong and silent type, but she knew better. Sure, she thought he was cool and strong, but brooding wasn't his thing, and that's exactly what he seemed to be doing at the moment.

She took a tentative step forward. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Then her stomach fell as a frightening possibility hit her. "Did...did something happen?"

His eyes widened slightly at seeing the change. "No, it's not that," he grumbled impatiently and to her great relief. That was more like the Inuyasha she knew. "It's just," he paused, eyeing the goggling group around them before shaking his head. "It's nothing."

She made a mental note to ask about it later when they were alone. "Okay...so this is really just about shopping?"

Kagome's mom nodded enthusiastically. "That's right. I thought since Inuyasha's going to be staying with us for a while, we should get him some regular clothes so he won't have to be cooped up at home all the time."

The revelation of his name seemed to have invigorated the girls' inquisitive effort. "So you're name's Inuyasha? That's sounds so cool!"

"Now Kagome," her mother chided gently, "aren't you going to introduce him to your friends?"

Her guts dropped another notch. "Oh...yeah...right." She darted her eyes to Inuyasha once more and immediately wished she hadn't. His eyes were unusually captivating, making her throat tighten. "Um...right...girls, this is my...this is Inuyasha," she fumbled. "Inuyasha, these are my classmates, Ay-"

"Hey, Higurashi!"

If she could've imagine the one thing to make her current situation even more awkward, Hojo's presence was it. She closed her eyes and wondered for a moment what in the world she'd done to deserve such a cruel twist of fate. She needed to get rid of him, and fast. Inuyasha's eyes were already narrowed, a serious warning sign shit was about to hit the fan.

"Hojo-kun," she greeted with an unnatural smile which he of course didn't notice at all. "What's going on?"

"Well, I saw you standing out here, so I wanted to give you these." He handed her a green folder. "They're notes from the exam review we've been going over. I copied mine for you in case you missed anything."

Kagome jumped at the soft yet dangerous growl from the half-demon. Hojo either didn't hear it or didn't know what it was, but she noticed her friends were all moving their eyes from one to the other, every pair of eyebrows raised high enough to hide beneath each girl's bangs. "Right...thanks, Hojo-kun."

She hoped he'd take the hint and leave, but he didn't. Instead he beamed at her. "So what're you doing? Are you going home? I can walk you if you want..."

"No," she cried, thankfully hiding another growl Hojo surely would've heard had she not spoken, and may have even recognized. "No," she repeated, forcing herself to calm down, "you don't have to. I was about to go to...um..."

"The mall," her mother supplied.

"Yeah, the mall," she stated, then spun around to face her smiling mom, Hojo momentarily forgotten. "_The mall?_ You want to take him to the _mall?_ Are you insane?"

"I thought it would be fun," the woman replied in her typical air-headed fashion.

She turned to Inuyasha, intent on talking him out of such nonsense, but his stony expression stole the words from her mouth. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Oh, are you a friend of Higurashi's?" Hojo cut in.

Her friends shared a furtive look at one another. Then one of them piped up, "Um, he's Kagome-chan's boyfriend, Hojo-kun."

Kagome's face burned, and she braced herself for Inuyasha's trademark explosion at the remark.

"Higurashi's...boyfriend?"

_Oh no...here it comes...please Inuyasha, just don't hurt anybody..._

"Yeah, something like that."

Kagome's jaw dropped and she was sure her heart skipped at least two beats. Once she managed to catch her breath, she gawked at Inuyasha, who simply crossed his arms and kept his gaze firmly on Hojo, whose smile had faltered slightly.

"Oh...well, I've heard a little bit about you from Kagome's friends," he said after a tense pause.

"You have?" she asked; she didn't know anything about that! She looked at the girls, all of which looked guilty as sin. Considering what she knew their opinions to be on the matter of the guy she'd told them about, she didn't even want to know what they'd told him.

"Yeah," he confirmed though, to her amazement, his face became less clueless than normal. Then he looked back to Inuyasha. "So you're staying with Higurashi's family right now?"

"That's right."

"Just visiting?"

"That's none of your business."

Hojo shrugged. "I'm just worried about Higurashi. She's been through a lot lately-"

The half-demon's hands were clenched tightly at his sides, as though it was taking every ounce of self-control he had to keep from slicing Hojo's face open. "I know that."

"So I don't want to see her get hurt. That's all," Hojo concluded with a tight smile. Then he turned on his heel. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," he told Kagome, "and if you ever need anything, just let me know." With a wave over his shoulder, he went back across the street and turned out of sight.

What followed was a maelstrom of apologies and excuses from her best friends. Kagome couldn't tell who was screaming, squealing, and shouting what, but in the end she gathered enough to know they'd told Hojo at some point they thought her boyfriend was just a violent, no-good jerk who would break her heart in the end and that they were all really, really sorry for saying it. To make matters worse, Inuyasha appeared to have come to the same conclusion; he looked absolutely livid.

"Inuyasha, I'm really sorry," she ventured weakly.

"For what? Making me out to be some bastard who treats you like dirt?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's not like that..."

"Then why'd your friends think so, huh? They don't know me, you've made damned sure of that!" he shot back, his own face coloring with rage.

Her temper was rising too. "Look, I said I was sorry! They've met you now, and if you don't calm down, they really will think you're a jerk!"

"They already do! Besides, I don't care what they think!"

"Well I do!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

They simultaneously turned their back on one another, both breathing heavy and crossing their arms over their chests. Kagome's brother and her friends all watched the pair with wide eyes. Her mother, however, simply giggled.

"It's so nice to see young people in love, isn't it?"

…...

**End Day Three**


End file.
